Brussels, 17/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - The External Relations Council adopted, on Monday, without debate, its decision approving the conclusion of an agreement between the European Community and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on application of the ecopoints system to heavy vehicle traffic from FYROM across Austria. The ecopoints system implemented by FYROM, similar to that implemented by the EU Member States, has been in force since 1 January 1999 but the arrangements for implementing it (method of calculation, rules and procedures concerning the management and control of the system) was still to be formally adopted in an agreement. The agreement in question, approved on Monday by the Council, was negotiated and signed in the form of an exchange of letters between the Community and FYROM on 29 October 2002.